West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-10-14
ALASKA.
Courier-J Journal.


gives total population for Alaska
33,426 persons, of which 43O are
white, 1,756 creole, 1887 Eskimo,
2,145 Aleut, 1927 Athabaskan, g.
763 Thlinket and 7SS Hyda. The
area is 5S0,107 square miles, of
which 81, 1,205 are insular. ''The cli-
mate is very much milder than that
of corresponding latitudes on the
east coast of America. The climate
Of the Aleutian islands is much like
that of the western islands of Scot.
land. In the valley of the great riv-
er Yukon-the principal stream and
the great highway of the Interior
there are large fertile plains and ex-
tensive marshes, underlaid by lay
er of ice which never melts, even In
summer, when the surface is cover
ed by luxuriant vegetation. The
summer on the Pacific coast, even in
the far north, is generally warm,
sunny and pleasant, owing to the in
fuence of the warm Kuro SiCo, the
gulf stream of the Pacific, aided by
the sunlight of the long Arctic day.
On the Upper Yukon the summer
mi
heat is really intense. The winter
in the south is by no means very
cold. At Sitka sound ice is never
formed, and the winter temperature
is about that of Washington, ID. G.
The rainfall is copious, and foggy
weather is common on the coasts
and islands. Hence there are many
streams, of which the Yukon, Kus-
koquim, Tananah and Stikine are
worthy of mention. The Yukon is
navigable in summer some seven
hundred miles. Timber is abund-
ant almost everywhere, but many of
the islands and coast regions have
few trees, and obtain their timber
and fuel from the driltwood which
rivers bring down. Tie white
spruce affords strong, light and du-
rable spars, but the best timber is
the noble yellow cedar, which is of
unsurpassed excellence Balsam fir
and hemlock abound. The birch af-
fords good timber. Poplars, willows
and alders are common. Edible ber.
ries are abundant and Of many
kinds. Grass grows luxuriantly
even in the far north. At Fort Yu-
kon, north of the Arctic circle-lat-
itude &c deg. 81 min.-barley, pota-
toes and turnips have been grown.
Cattle have been introduced upon
the islands with an encouraging
prospect of success. Cranberries
have been exported to California.
Fish are abundant in both salt and
fresh waters. The cod-not the
true cod of the Atlantic-herrings,
and a smelt colled oulachan, abound,
the latter affording q copious supply
of oil. Many species of salmon are
caught in the streams. White fish,
much resembling those of the great
lakes, are also abundant Whale
fishing is carried on extensively in
Behring sea and the Arctic At
present the principal revenue of this
territory is derived from the fur
trade. Fur seals and sea otters arc
taken, subject to strict regulations
prescribed by the United States Gov
ernment to prevent the extinction of
the species. The fishery is now con-
trolled by the Alaska Company of
California. which is not allowed to
take more than one hundred thous-
and pelts per year; and this COM
pany avoids killing any very young
male seals; very old males are not
worth killing. The company's
right does not cover other fur-bear.
ing animals. The skins of fox,
sable, beaver, lynx, wolverine, bear,
wolf, muskrat, deer, and other ami
mails are also procured. The oil of
seals and walrus, and the ivory Of
the latter, are articles of export.
In 1867 the whole Territory was
ceded to the United States by Rus
sia for the sum Of $7,20O,OOO, for
NAL possession being given on Orto-
her Is to q military force of the
United States at Sitka. The United
States Government derives from the
rents of the islands and the tax on
sealskins an annual income of $3l7,-
600, and has already received from
this source alone more than the full
face value of the purchase money
for Alaska"